Dr. Michael V. Pantalon came to the conclusion that the only way people will change is if they want to change. And people will only want to change if change is to their advantage. Getting people to recognize that a change in behaviour is to their advantage is the secret of Instant Influence: How to Get Anyone to Do Anything. Dr. Pantalon swears by his technique and insists that it works better than any other (although he acknowledges – contrary to the subtitle – that some people simply do not want to change and are thus inure to the technique he advocates). Pantalon illustrates his successes and insists that through reinforcing autonomy, anyone can get the same results. The method also demands transparency, working with the target in order to gain his or her cooperation, rather than tricking a target into believing they really want what is being “sold” as advantageous. But if it is all this simple, why is it that most people are not self-motivated enough to change?
